Human Timelord

It was almost pitch black except for a tiny light coming from the centre, which allowed me just enough light to see the layers of dust that coated every inch of the main room.

I’d never seen another Tardis before; therefore it surprised me that it could be so different to the Doctor’s. Almost everything was in a different position and the controls were so much more ordered. But it was sad.

I felt so cold as I walked across the floor – my fingers tracing the dust-covered controls. My eyes wandered over the open books on a bookshelf to the side, lingering on an open one.

“It is time,” I read out loud. “Georgiana is born, so now it cannot harm her. Her life will bear the burden of my mistakes, but I cannot live with the knowledge that I have killed and maimed others. It is better this way since now I can never return home. Earth is the only place I can be free. And even though I will not remember myself, or my planet, or my people; the Timelords will live on in my children even after Gallifrey is destroyed.”

She knew.

I closed the book sharply and placed it back on its shelf. She knew that Gallifrey was going to be destroyed and yet did nothing to stop it. How could someone do something like that?

I kicked the Tardis in anger, gaining nothing but a sore foot. But as I did, I realised that I wasn’t angry at Jeriana for ignoring the downfall of Gallifrey. I was angry at her for becoming a human and running away from her problems.

“Why did you do it?!” I yelled out to the empty space. “Why couldn’t you have stayed a Timelord! You could’ve travelled, fixed your problems – I wouldn’t have had to come here to get your help! You would’ve been there to help me in the first place!”

But then I wouldn’t have met the Doctor.

I swallowed. I probably wouldn’t have even been born….

“But why can’t you just remember,” I whispered hopelessly, slumping onto the Tardis controls in defeat.

“Erica Scotts.”

I jumped back away from the controls in surprise.

“Jeriana?” I asked confusedly, staring at the screen.

“I have heard of you child,” she said, obviously not hearing me. It must have been a pre-recorded message. “In my ventures through the 21st century, you were there. And on the 22nd of June 2011, lying on a beach in the Caribbean, I got a message. That message told me to leave you this. For this exact date and time, telling you of my life. But more specifically, the wrongdoings I committed against my people and my friends.”

I stared at the screen in amazement – obviously it was in my future that I would send that message.

“Eldor Deiyan was my best friend. He travelled with me for a while…but we were attacked…” Past-Jeriana trailed off. “I couldn’t help him. He survived…but severely disfigured. I felt so guilty – and he was only nineteen.”

That explained Ariella’s rant about her father growing up as a freak.

“But it got worse. His family disowned him when he finally came back home and he was kicked out to live like a peasant.”

And there’s the reason why Ariella never had the throne.

“After my rebellious teenage streak I went back to Gallifrey. I arrived just as we were on the verge of war."

“I got into a fight with my father and he pretty much told me I was disowned. Told me never to darken on his doorstep ever again and so I ran off. Being young and naïve, I had no idea that there was a war going on at the time. So I stole a Tardis. Now that I look back on it, I wonder why nobody else ever did that, but I ran. I ran to Earth, and I never travelled again. This is the last time I’m ever setting foot in here. Tomorrow I’ll be human – and no enemy of a Timelord will ever bother me again.”

“This Tardis is yours now Erica. It will re-awaken when it feels the need to, but you might need to persuade it. You might be the last child of Gallifrey, so I hope that you will do some good with it.”

I gulped as I watched her reaching to turn off the camera.
“Actually,” Jeriana said, pulling back, “by the way…if you ever get the chance, steal the locket that’s in a cabinet in the library. Don’t destroy it, but keep it safe. And never open it until after I’m dead. Good luck Erica.”

The screen went blank.

I took one last look around before searching for a door and walking out into the library once more. This time in a somewhat more convenient way. I’d walked out of a different wall, a bookshelf that swung forward like a door.

“Well,” I said to the Tardis. “I guess we definitely know that you know how to disguise yourself.” I swung the door back into place and made sure that it was closed properly before turning back around and sighing to myself. I still had to put all the books back that I’d pulled out.

After cleaning up the room, I opened the cabinet underneath one of the windows and put the golden locket in my pocket.

I heard Jeriana’s footsteps echo down the hallway in the opposite direction to the stairs, so I took that opportunity to run back downstairs.

“What did you find out?” the Doctor asked as I sat down delicately.

“A lot,” I whispered in reply as Jeriana came down the stairs.

“I’m afraid I might be a while,” she apologised.

“That’s alright,” the Doctor said, standing up. “We’d best be off anyway. It was lovely to meet you.”

“You too Doctor. And Erica.”

I smiled as I saw her nod her head at us. Oblivious to the fact that she stood across from the two direct links to her home planet. Oblivious to the fact that she even had a home planet.

We walked outside and met up with Jack and Nara.

“Jeriana’s mother accidentally killed a member of Ariella’s family who came to Earth,” I lied. “I read it in one of her diaries. As to the other stuff…I think that Ariella was just a bit distraught and needed someone to pin her problems on.”

The Doctor sighed, “And I was hoping it was going to be some big conspiracy.”

Jack, Nara and I shared a glance that showed they knew I was lying.

“How can he not know?” Nara asked me as we waited outside while the Doctor and Jack got the Tardis ready.

“I don’t think he wants to,” I replied, looking into the room.

“But if you’re both Timelords, shouldn’t he at least feel something connecting you-”

“I don’t think he remembers what it’s like to stand side by side another one. And I think my humanity outshines the other part of me.”

“What are you two gas bagging about?” The Doctor asked, sticking his head out of the Tardis.

“Nothing,” I murmured, stepping past him into the Tardis, followed quickly by Nara.

“And off we go,” the Doctor said, pulling down a lever, causing the floor to shake immediately.

I stared at his smiling face, deciding that if he was happy being oblivious, perhaps he was better left that way.